Commencement Information for Faculty

Graduate Commencement Ceremony – May 10, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. 
Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony – May 11, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.

The spring commencement ceremonies are May 10 for graduate students and May 11 for undergraduate students.  The graduate ceremony is 7:00 p.m. in the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center and the undergraduate ceremony is 11:00 a.m. in Seth Grove Stadium.  

• Faculty Participation: The Commencement Committee encourages faculty to participate. An email will be sent to determine the number of faculty participants in order to provide an accurate count of required seats.  Please respond to the email, or Register Now, if you plan to participate in the faculty procession.
  
  
• Cap and gown: Faculty members who wish to order academic regalia are asked to contact the University Store at ext. 1600 from on campus or 717-477-1600 from off campus. If you would like to attend, but do not wish to order regalia, there is a robe sharing program in the APSCUF office.  Please contact the office to arrange a loaner.
  
  
• Diploma presentation: If you want to present a diploma cover to a family member or a student who is graduating, please email commencement@ship.edu by May 3. Please include the graduate’s name and college in the email.
  
  
• Robing: For the undergraduate ceremony, please use the entrance in the middle of the grandstands. Faculty will assemble by 10:30 a.m. in the Red Raider locker room to the right. The platform party, administrators, special participants, etc., will robe in the Sports Medicine room to the left.
  
  
• Academic procession: The undergraduate academic procession will form at 10:45 a.m. and start promptly at 11:00 a.m. The mace bearer will lead the processional followed by members of the 50-year class, graduates, faculty, trustees, administrators, and then the platform party. Faculty who elect not to recess so they may meet with graduates are asked to step aside so other faculty may continue in the recessional.
  
  
• Inclement Weather: In case of inclement weather on the day of the undergraduate ceremony, information about commencement will be available on Hotline (717-477‑1200). Hotline will be updated as needed.  Final information will be available by 7:00 a.m. on May 11.  Hotline, the university’s website, and the university’s Facebook and Twitter accounts are the official sources of information about commencement.

In the event of inclement weather, undergraduate commencement will be held in Heiges Field House in two separate ceremonies based on colleges.  Graduates of the John L. Grove College of Business and the College of Education & Human Services will participate at 11:00 a.m.  Graduates of the College of Arts & Sciences will participate at 3:00 p.m. 

If the ceremony is moved indoors, faculty participants are asked to robe at least 30 minutes prior to the start of their respective ceremony.

Should you have any questions concerning your participation in the undergraduate ceremony, please e-mail commencement@ship.edu.  

Should you have any questions concerning your participation in the graduate ceremony, please contact Brian Johnson at BJJohnson@ship.edu.